Living in Umeå
Umeå is a city in Sweden. The unemployment rate was 7.8% at the end of 2024. In 2024, annual PM2.5 was 4.52 µg/m³. Car density was 431.6 vehicles per 1,000 residents in 2025.
Cheaper rent than 98% of Swedish cities that publish it, lower unemployment than 89% of Swedish cities that publish it and less recorded crime than 68% of Swedish cities that publish it.
Which Sweden-wide rules apply when you move to Umeå?
National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.
Housing and cost
How much does it cost to rent in Umeå?
Average net cold rent is 7.45 EUR/m² per month (2009), excluding heating and operating charges.
Published average over existing tenancies; a specific flat can sit either side of it. Asking-rent series, where present, are separate rows in the table.
- Average net rent (nettokalt): 7.45 EUR/m²/month · Eurostat3
Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fitness club membership, monthly | 33.74 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2022 | Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v223Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited | 25.85 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2022 | Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v223Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Private kindergarten, monthly | 27.43 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2022 | Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v223Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Meal at an inexpensive restaurant | 10.97 EUR | 31 Dec 2022 | Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v223Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Mobile plan, 10 GB | 29.99 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2025 | Numbeo — Cost of Living in Umea (Wayback capture 20250822040130)24Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Monthly transport pass | 50.3 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2022 | Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v223Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² home | 41.97 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2022 | Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v223Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Average net rent (nettokalt) | 7.45 EUR/m²/monthcountry median €10.00 | 31 Dec 2009 | Eurostat3Official |
Cost of living
Fixed monthly costs for one person in an 85 m² flat were about €781 in the latest published figures. From a median gross salary of €3,289, that leaves €2,508 before income tax and social contributions.
- Net rent, 85 m² · 81%€633
- Utilities, 85 m² · 5%€42
- Transport pass · 6%€50
- Internet and mobile · 7%€56
One person, 85 m² flat; the ring splits the €781 fixed basket before income tax and social contributions, latest published figures (checked 2026-08-27).
Worked out from these numbers
What does a 60 m² flat cost?
About 447 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of 7.45 EUR/m² per month, before heating and operating charges.
Heating, water and operating charges come on top, and a specific flat can sit either side of an average.
Work and income
What is the unemployment rate in Umeå?
The unemployment rate is 7.8 % (2024). Source: SCB labour-market variables by municipality, 2022–202416
Unemployment rate (%)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| People in employment | 70,104 people | 31 Dec 2024 | Statistics Sweden (SCB)15Official |
| Employment rate | 79.2 % | 31 Dec 2024 | Statistics Sweden (SCB)16Official |
| Median gross salary (regional) | 3,289 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2025 | api.scb.se1Official |
| Unemployment rate | 7.8 %country median 10.6% | 31 Dec 2024 | SCB labour-market variables by municipality, 2022–202416Independent |
Unemployment rate rose 128.7% between 1991 and 2024, from 3.4% to 7.8%.
Public employment service
No exact public employment office is currently linked to Umeå. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.
Arbetsförmedlingen — Public employment service
Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Umeå. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.
Safety
How safe is Umeå?
Police recorded 9,210 incidents per 100,000 (2025). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source.
- Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents: 9,210 offences per 100,000 · Brå — reported offences by municipality, 20252
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents | 9,210 offences per 100,000country median 9,986 | 31 Dec 2025 | Brå — reported offences by municipality, 20252Official |
Mobility and administration
Language courses and integration
No exact city-level course record is currently published for Umeå. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.
Municipal civic orientation for newly arrived residents — Civic Orientation
Swedish municipalities
For newly arrived residents with residence permits.
Swedish for immigrants (SFI) municipal adult education — State Language Course
Swedish municipalities under the national SFI framework
For persons over 16 eligible for SFI.
Climate and air quality
Monthly mean temperatures were −6.2°C in January and 16°C in July. Monthly precipitation was 52.3 mm in January and 69.1 mm in July.
Is the air quality good in Umeå?
The annual PM2.5 mean is about 4.5 µg/m³ (2024) — within the WHO 2021 guideline.
Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.
- PM2.5 — annual mean: 4.52 µg/m³ · Official exact-kommun station observations are derived to a kommun aggregate.5
City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.
Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| NO₂ — annual mean | 9.26 µg/m³country median 4.0 | 2024 | Official exact-kommun station observations are derived to a kommun aggregate.5Official |
| NO₂ — latest reading | 3.1 µg/m³ | 15 Jul 2026 | Official exact-kommun station observations are derived to a kommun aggregate.5Official |
| PM10 — annual mean | 17.02 µg/m³country median 9.3 | 2024 | Official exact-kommun station observations are derived to a kommun aggregate.5Official |
| PM2.5 — annual mean | 4.52 µg/m³country median 5.1 | 2024 | Official exact-kommun station observations are derived to a kommun aggregate.5Official |
| Average daytime high by month | Jan -2.6 · Feb -2.51 · Mar 1.54 · Apr 6.66 · May 12.95 · Jun 17.94 · Jul 20.86 · Aug 19.26 · Sep 14.35 · Oct 7.23 · Nov 1.98 · Dec -0.813 °C | 31 Dec 2020 | SMHI Mean maximum temperature — Umeå Flygplats, 1991-202011Official |
| Average night-time low by month | Jan -10.43 · Feb -10.98 · Mar -7.46 · Apr -2.54 · May 2.12 · Jun 7.27 · Jul 10.72 · Aug 9.48 · Sep 5.09 · Oct 0.046 · Nov -4.05 · Dec -7.92 °C | 31 Dec 2020 | SMHI Mean minimum temperature — Umeå Flygplats, 1991-202012Official |
| Average temperature by month | Jan -6.19 · Feb -6.52 · Mar -2.75 · Apr 2.15 · May 7.81 · Jun 12.91 · Jul 16.04 · Aug 14.53 · Sep 9.74 · Oct 3.72 · Nov -0.807 · Dec -4.11 °C | 31 Dec 2020 | SMHI Normal monthly temperature — Umeå Flygplats, 1991-202014Official |
| Average precipitation by month | Jan 52.27 · Feb 41.57 · Mar 37.38 · Apr 34.01 · May 44.05 · Jun 52.04 · Jul 69.11 · Aug 77.09 · Sep 59.65 · Oct 70.92 · Nov 69.71 · Dec 63.97 mm | 31 Dec 2020 | SMHI Normal monthly precipitation — Umeå Flygplats, 1991-202013Official |
| Average sunshine by month | Jan 35.3 · Feb 81.1 · Mar 156 · Apr 212.8 · May 269.7 · Jun 286.7 · Jul 275.6 · Aug 221.1 · Sep 153.2 · Oct 95.1 · Nov 42.9 · Dec 23.1 hours | 1991–2020 | WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station Ume� Sol22Official · nearest-station reading |
Annual PM2.5 rose 13.1% between 2016 and 2024, from 4.0 to 4.5.
Alternatives with a better balance
Nearby is not always better: the greyed row leaves less than Umeå at the same fixed-cost basket. Every alternative publishes the same metric families, each with its own source and date.
Cities of a similar size in Sweden
Closest published populations, for a like-for-like comparison.
Population and city profile
The city covered 2,333.5 km² in 2024. Population density was 58 people per km² in 2025.
How many people live in Umeå?
The published population was 134,249 people in 2024. Source: SCB table BefArealTathetKon: municipality land area/population by year.10
Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Area | 2,333 km² | 31 Dec 2025 | Statistics Sweden (SCB)17Official |
| Cars per 1,000 residents | 431.6 cars/1000 residents | 31 Dec 2025 | Official vehicles-in-use table: Fordonsslag=10 is passenger cars, stock at the last month of 2025; divided by official SCB population at 31 December 2025.7Official |
| City area | 2,334 km² | 1 Jan 2024 | SCB table BefArealTathetKon: municipality land area/population by year.10Official |
| Foreign-resident share | 6.1 % | 31 Dec 2025 | Eurostat4Official |
| Foreign residents | 8,469 people | 31 Dec 2025 | Official number of foreign citizens at municipality grain, all ages and all sexes, reference 31 December 2025.6Official |
| Population density | 58 people/km² | 31 Dec 2025 | Official SCB population density per square kilometre at municipality grain. SCB states that it uses the population figure at 31 December with the following 1 January land-area figure.10Official |
| Population Female | 67,732 people | 31 Dec 2025 | Statistics Sweden (SCB)19Official |
| Population Male | 67,732 people | 31 Dec 2025 | Statistics Sweden (SCB)19Official |
| Population | 134,249 people | 31 Dec 2024 | SCB table BefArealTathetKon: municipality land area/population by year.10Official |
Population rose 49.2% between 1990 and 2025, from 90,004 to 134,249.
Foreign residents rose 31.4% between 2016 and 2025, from 6,446 to 8,469.
International community in Umeå
Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.
Country of birth
Registered population by municipality and country of birth; total sex · 2024
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| All birth countries | 134,249 | 100.0% |
| Sweden | 115,897 | 86.3% |
| Finland | 2,038 | 1.5% |
| Somalia | 875 | 0.7% |
| Afghanistan | 834 | 0.6% |
| Iran (Islamic Republic of) | 830 | 0.6% |
| Iraq | 807 | 0.6% |
| Syrian Arab Republic | 796 | 0.6% |
| Eritrea | 648 | 0.5% |
| Germany | 599 | 0.4% |
Show 111 more groups
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| India | 560 | 0.4% |
| China | 517 | 0.4% |
| Thailand | 509 | 0.4% |
| Ethiopia | 385 | 0.3% |
| Norway | 360 | 0.3% |
| Sri Lanka | 356 | 0.3% |
| Russian Federation | 355 | 0.3% |
| United Kingdom | 333 | 0.2% |
| Poland | 309 | 0.2% |
| Bangladesh | 285 | 0.2% |
| Ukraine | 280 | 0.2% |
| United States of America | 278 | 0.2% |
| Pakistan | 255 | 0.2% |
| Spain | 226 | 0.2% |
| Türkiye | 212 | 0.2% |
| France | 201 | 0.1% |
| Korea, Republic of Korea | 198 | 0.1% |
| other countries | 186 | 0.1% |
| Colombia | 175 | 0.1% |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | 163 | 0.1% |
| Philippines | 160 | 0.1% |
| Lebanon | 156 | 0.1% |
| Sudan | 156 | 0.1% |
| Brazil | 155 | 0.1% |
| Italy | 155 | 0.1% |
| Burundi | 145 | 0.1% |
| Kingdom of the Netherlands | 143 | 0.1% |
| Romania | 140 | 0.1% |
| Viet Nam | 132 | 0.1% |
| Greece | 130 | 0.1% |
| Chile | 116 | 0.1% |
| Denmark | 97 | 0.1% |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 94 | 0.1% |
| Morocco | 93 | 0.1% |
| Kenya | 89 | 0.1% |
| Nigeria | 84 | 0.1% |
| Saudi Arabia | 84 | 0.1% |
| Egypt | 81 | 0.1% |
| Lithuania | 74 | 0.1% |
| Uganda | 74 | 0.1% |
| Japan | 72 | 0.1% |
| Hungary | 71 | 0.1% |
| Canada | 70 | 0.1% |
| Palestinian territory, occupied | 70 | 0.1% |
| Gambia | 65 | 0.0% |
| Indonesia | 64 | 0.0% |
| El Salvador | 63 | 0.0% |
| Libyan Arab Jamahiriya | 62 | 0.0% |
| Austria | 61 | 0.0% |
| Cameroon | 61 | 0.0% |
| Portugal | 59 | 0.0% |
| Switzerland | 58 | 0.0% |
| Australia | 56 | 0.0% |
| Bulgaria | 56 | 0.0% |
| Czech Republic | 54 | 0.0% |
| Yemen | 52 | 0.0% |
| Latvia | 51 | 0.0% |
| Mexico | 51 | 0.0% |
| Yugoslavia | 51 | 0.0% |
| Ghana | 50 | 0.0% |
| Estonia | 48 | 0.0% |
| Albania | 47 | 0.0% |
| Belgium | 46 | 0.0% |
| Rwanda | 43 | 0.0% |
| Tunisia | 38 | 0.0% |
| South Africa | 37 | 0.0% |
| Cuba | 36 | 0.0% |
| Tanzania, United Republic of | 36 | 0.0% |
| Azerbaijan | 34 | 0.0% |
| Israel | 34 | 0.0% |
| Peru | 33 | 0.0% |
| Armenia | 32 | 0.0% |
| Iceland | 30 | 0.0% |
| Jordan | 30 | 0.0% |
| Nepal | 30 | 0.0% |
| Croatia | 28 | 0.0% |
| Ireland | 28 | 0.0% |
| Kuwait | 28 | 0.0% |
| Argentina | 26 | 0.0% |
| Belarus | 26 | 0.0% |
| Kazakhstan | 26 | 0.0% |
| Soviet Union | 25 | 0.0% |
| United Arab Emirates | 24 | 0.0% |
| Bolivia | 24 | 0.0% |
| Slovakia | 24 | 0.0% |
| Myanmar | 23 | 0.0% |
| Taiwan | 23 | 0.0% |
| Algeria | 22 | 0.0% |
| New Zealand | 22 | 0.0% |
| Venezuela | 22 | 0.0% |
| Ecuador | 21 | 0.0% |
| Malaysia | 21 | 0.0% |
| Senegal | 21 | 0.0% |
| Uzbekistan | 20 | 0.0% |
| Kyrgyzstan | 19 | 0.0% |
| Cyprus | 16 | 0.0% |
| Djibouti | 16 | 0.0% |
| Zimbabwe | 16 | 0.0% |
| Congo, the Republic of the | 15 | 0.0% |
| Liberia | 14 | 0.0% |
| Guatemala | 13 | 0.0% |
| Czechoslovakia | 13 | 0.0% |
| Zambia | 13 | 0.0% |
| Sierra Leone | 12 | 0.0% |
| Kosovo | 12 | 0.0% |
| Moldova, Republic of | 11 | 0.0% |
| Serbia | 11 | 0.0% |
| Uruguay | 11 | 0.0% |
| Georgia | 10 | 0.0% |
| Mongolia | 10 | 0.0% |
| unknown country of birth | 7 | 0.0% |
Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source21
Citizenship
Registered population by municipality and citizenship; total sex · 2024
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| total | 134,249 | 100.0% |
| Swedish | 126,050 | 93.9% |
| Rest of the world incl. Stateless and unknown | 4,654 | 3.5% |
| European citizenship except Swedish | 3,545 | 2.6% |
Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source20
Is Umeå a good place to live?
There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.
Additional context
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households | 66,802 households | 31 Dec 2024 | Statistics Sweden (SCB)18Official |
Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Umeå when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.
Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.
Open the official coverage guideCommon questions
Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.
Is Umeå expensive?
Fixed monthly costs for one person in an 85 m² flat — net rent, utilities, a transport pass, internet and mobile — came to about €781 against a median gross salary of €3,289 (figures), leaving about €2,508 before income tax. Sources: the rent, recurring-cost and salary series published on this page, each with its own source and date.
How many people live in Umeå?
The published population was 134,249 people in 2024. Source: SCB table BefArealTathetKon: municipality land area/population by year..
How much does it cost to rent in Umeå?
Average net cold rent is 7.45 EUR/m² per month (2009), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 522 EUR a month before utilities. Source: Eurostat.
Is the air quality good in Umeå?
The annual PM2.5 mean is about 4.5 µg/m³ (2024) — within the WHO 2021 guideline. Source: Official exact-kommun station observations are derived to a kommun aggregate..
How safe is Umeå?
Police recorded 9,210 incidents per 100,000 (2025). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Brå — reported offences by municipality, 2025.
What is the unemployment rate in Umeå?
The unemployment rate is 7.8 % (2024). Source: SCB labour-market variables by municipality, 2022–2024.
What is the typical salary around Umeå?
The median gross salary is 3,289 EUR/month. Source: api.scb.se.
Is Umeå a good place to live?
Umeå may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.
How many people born in United Arab Emirates live in Umeå?
The official country of birth distribution records 24 people (0.0%) in the source-defined population for 2024. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.
Cite this page
Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.
APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, September 12). Umeå, Sweden: cost of living, rent and salaries [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/se/umea/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_umea-sweden-cost-of-living-rent-and-salaries_52eb90dc19f9,
author = {ImmigrationDB},
title = {Umeå, Sweden: cost of living, rent and salaries},
publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-09-12},
version = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
snapshot = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/se/umea/},
note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}Markdown citation
[Umeå, Sweden: cost of living, rent and salaries](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/se/umea/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; retrieved 2026-09-12; built 2026-09-12.This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.
Sources
- api.scb.se api.scb.se · checked 2026-08-27
- Brå — reported offences by municipality, 2025 Brå · bra.se · checked 2026-07-26
- Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-27
- Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-02
- Official exact-kommun station observations are derived to a kommun aggregate. datavardluft.smhi.se · checked 2026-07-15
- Official number of foreign citizens at municipality grain, all ages and all sexes, reference 31 December 2025. api.scb.se · checked 2025-12-31
- Official vehicles-in-use table: Fordonsslag=10 is passenger cars, stock at the last month of 2025; divided by official SCB population at 31 December 2025. api.scb.se · checked 2025-12-31
- OpenFlights — routes.dat OpenFlights · raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-07-14
- OurAirports — airports.csv OurAirports · davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-07-14
- SCB table BefArealTathetKon: municipality land area/population by year. api.scb.se · checked 2026-07-14
Show 14 more sources
- SMHI Mean maximum temperature — Umeå Flygplats, 1991-2020 SMHI Mean maximum temperature · smhi.se · checked 2026-07-26
- SMHI Mean minimum temperature — Umeå Flygplats, 1991-2020 SMHI Mean minimum temperature · smhi.se · checked 2026-07-26
- SMHI Normal monthly precipitation — Umeå Flygplats, 1991-2020 SMHI Normal monthly precipitation · smhi.se · checked 2026-07-26
- SMHI Normal monthly temperature — Umeå Flygplats, 1991-2020 SMHI Normal monthly temperature · smhi.se · checked 2026-07-26
- Statistics Sweden (SCB) api.scb.se · checked 2026-08-07
- Statistics Sweden (SCB) api.scb.se · checked 2026-08-07
- Statistics Sweden (SCB) api.scb.se · checked 2026-08-07
- Statistics Sweden (SCB) api.scb.se · checked 2026-08-07
- Statistics Sweden (SCB) api.scb.se · checked 2026-08-07
- Statistics Sweden (SCB) api.scb.se · checked 2026-08-30
- Statistics Sweden (SCB) country_of_birth distribution api.scb.se · checked 2026-08-28
- WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station Ume� Sol WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 · ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-31
- Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2 Global Cost of Living · kaggle.com · checked 2026-07-27
- Numbeo — Cost of Living in Umea (Wayback capture 20250822040130) Numbeo · web.archive.org · checked 2026-08-01
Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.